Three Forks Trail
by Nilhaldra
Summary: Jimmy is devastated after Sheen flies away for parts unknown. Cindy unknowingly makes things worse with a heated argument. Now the boy genius finds himself in an unfamiliar position with unknown consequences. Smack dab in the middle of a three way tug of war with his affections as the grand prize! Jimmy/Cindy, Jimmy/Betty, Jimmy/Libby.


A/N: Hello and thank you for clicking :) This is my very first Jimmy Neutron fanfic. Hopefully you all will like the story as it grows, for now, enjoy this attempt of bad writing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Jimmy Neutron in any way, shape, or form.  
~~~

"Just wait till you see it, Carl," Jimmy said as he and his portly friend walked down the street towards the boy genius' house. "It's a complete improvement over the old model, more power under the hood, nitro boost is three time longer and faster than before, and the paint job…oooooh boy, it's my greatest work yet."

"Sounds like a really good rocket Jim," Carl responded as the genius spoke. He knew that Jimmy would gush about his latest invention for hours after it was completed, but still, Jimmy saved his life time and time again, he didn't mind Jimmy talking his ear off about things that went above his head.

"It's better than really good, Carl," Jimmy shot back, "it's great! Once we find Sheen, we can take it for a test drive. We'll be able to fly to the milky way and back in record time!"

"Hey, where is Sheen anyway? I haven't seen him around."

"He's in the lab," Jimmy answered, "he's waiting for us to get back."

"You left him alone with your new rocket," Carl asked with a touch of concern in his voice.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Jimmy dismissed with a wave of his hand, "besides, I left sticky notes everywhere, even Sheen could-"

 **BOOM!**

Jimmy's words were cut off by a loud explosion from behind his house. The two boys rushed to the backyard and made it just in time to see Sheen lift off into space with Jimmy's new rocket.

"Wow Jim, you were right, that rocket sure is a beaut," Carl congratulated as the rocket left the stratosphere. "It's so fast, I can't see Sheen anymore."

Jimmy shouted at the sky, "SHEEEEEEEEN! COME BAAAACK!"

Carl could tell by Jimmy's wide eyed, open mouth face that something was wrong. "Jim?"

"I didn't put the guidance system in yet! There's enough gas in the tank to travel millions of light years away! If he doesn't steer it back to earth, he'll be gone forever!"

"WHAT!? What are we gonna do!? We gotta help him!"

"What has Nerdtron done now," a girl with blonde hair teased as she and another girl with braids (are those braids or dreadlocks? I don't know what to call them,) approached them.

Jimmy jaw clenched as he heard the insult, "gas planet! Now is really not a good time, Cindy!"

"What's wrong Jimmy," the other girl asked with genuine concern in her voice.

"Don't sweat it Libs," Cindy answered for the boy genius, "Neutron's probably working on some stupid invention that will endanger the whole town…again."

"Cindy, Libby, it's terrible," Carl shouted as he shook both girls by a shoulder as he talked, "Sheen stole Jimmy's rocket and Jimmy didn't put a tracking system in it and Sheens flying with no directions off in space and there's enough gas to go a million light years away and-"

"And let go of me or I'll really give you something to scream about," Cindy threatened while freeing Libby and herself from his grip, "now breathe and tell me what's going on."

"There's no time," Jimmy interrupted, "I have to go now!" With that he rushed off to his lab.

"Wait, I'm coming too," Carl said as he ran after him.

Cindy and Libby exchanged glances, shrugged their shoulders with an expression that said "why not," and calmly followed the two boys to Jimmy's lab.  
~~~

"So let me see if I understand this correctly," Libby said as she tapped her chin, "you left Sheen, who on a good day has the impulse control of a three year old, alone in your lab with a shiny new rocket?"

"Hey! I left sticky notes all over the lab for him, "Jimmy defended and counted off on his fingers, "don't enter the room with the rocket! Don't touch the rocket! Don't push the big red button!"

"And how's that working for you," Cindy said with a smirk.

Jimmy growled under his breath, "Grrr, Vortex I swear one day i'll-" His thought was cut short by a loud siren with flashing strobe lights. The ground beneath the four opened as Jimmy's old rocket was raised on a platform from underground , "there's no time for this! I have to get Sheen now!"

To Jimmy's credit, it took 44 seconds to prepare the old rocket for launch, and once the four plus mechanical dog were past the earths orbit, the four begin to brainstorm.

"So, what's the plan," Libby asked

"I don't have one, we have to look for evidence of which direction the rocket flew in."

"Look for evidence where, Neutron," Cindy countered as she gestured with her arms stretched wide, "this is space! Big, empty, nothingness."

"She right Jim," Carl added, "I don't see anything to tell where he went."

"Does the rocket leave some kinda trail or something," Libby suggested, "if its gas powered it leaves smoke behind right?"

"Not in space, there's no oxygen in space for the fuel to burn," Jimmy corrected, "but maybe…if Goddard could track the heat signature left behind by the thrusters, he could point us in the right direction!"

Goddard barked happily as he chest panel opened to reveal his built in monitor, within a few seconds, a map of the area appeared on the screen, along with a glowing trail leading away from the planet. "Einstein's ghost! This has to be it!" In a matter of seconds, Jimmy had the heat signature path in the rocket guidance system, and off they sped deeper into space.

After twenty minutes or so of riding around, boredom began to set in . "I always forget to bring a book when we go off on these things," Cindy mentioned to no one in particular.

"A book…in space," Libby asked with an arched eyebrow, "girl what do you need a book in space for?"

"Cause its so boring up here! After the first five times coming up here, the fun wears off."

"They could at least build an intergalactic purple flurp store up here right," Libby offered as a way of agreeing.

"Or a McSpanky's."

"McSpanky's? Eww girl no! Now a candy bar..."

"Ooh good call, Libs!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes at the girls banter then gave his full attention to Goddard's monitor. Didn't they realize how serious this situation is? Sheen could be lost forever in space if they didn't find him. No matter, let them talk, the less distractions the better.

"Jimmy," Carl began as he tapped the boy genius on his shoulder.

' _So much for no distractions_ ,' Jimmy groaned mentally, "not now Carl." He felt his friend poke his shoulder again. Jimmy shooed Carl's hand away with his own without looking away from the monitor, "I have to make sure we follow Sheen's trail."

"Neutron do you even know where we're headed," Cindy interrupted, "usually on these little adventures of yours, we're either stranded, attacked by some weird aliens, or you botch it up somehow."

That got his attention, "and what's that supposed to mean," he asked over his shoulder.

"Jimmy," Carl tried again but was drowned out by the impromptu shouting match.

"What that means is that this is that I have things to do today and I can't afford to waste time on another one of your...outings."

"Then you shouldn't have come," Jimmy barked, "I didn't ask you to be here Vortex!"

"But Jim-"

"Well of course I'm going to be here! You shot my best friends' boyfriend into deep space!"

"I didn't do that! "

"Well who's lab did Sheen walk into? Who's rocket did Sheen climb into?"

"Guys can we just try to find Sheen," Libby asked.

"JIMMY!"

"What," everyone shouted back at Carl.

"Giant rocks straight ahead!"

The group turned to where Carl pointed and found themselves in front of a large asteroid field. "Gas planets! Hang on everyone, this will get rough!" Before the others could strap in, Jimmy banked the rocket hard to the left side, causing everyone to tumble out of their seats.

Tiny pebbles bounced against the rocket as Jimmy wove through the field. "Ouch! Neutron you did that on purpose!"

"I said hang on," Jimmy answered with a smirk. Just as the group were able to strap themselves in to their seats, Jimmy sent his rocket into a nosedive to avoid a rather huge asteroid.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Carl said with spirals in his eyes.

"You and me both," Libby cosigned with a hand over her mouth.

"Large unidentified flying object ahead," Goddard's robotic voice warned the group, "prepare for impact."

"Object," Cindy questioned, "I don't see anything!"

Just as Jimmy pulled out of the nosedive, something broke the surface of a nearby asteroid. Before anyone could scream a warning, a derelict satellite crashed into the tail end of the rocket.

"We're hit," Jimmy shouted as the rockets thrusters began to give way, "Goddard, emergency protocol 33!" The mechanical dog immediately hopped into action. With a few clicks Goddard attached himself to the back of the rocket and use his own jet thrusters to push the crew away from the floating rock field.

"How did Sheen pilot through this asteroid field," Jimmy asked out loud, "must be all those Ultralord games. Goddard, check for any other trails that Sheen has left behind."

"I cannot do that Master," Goddard replied in his robotic voice, "there is just enough fuel to pilot back to earth."

"Earth," Carl, Cindy, and Libby exclaimed.

"Wait boy, we can't go back, we have to find Sheen!"

"Master, If we continue forward we will be stranded."

"Jimmy, we can't leave Sheen behind," Carl whined, "we just can't! We have to keep going!"

"No way," Cindy interjected, "if we get lost out here, who's going to bring Sheen home? Libby, what do you think?"

"I think we should mo-"

 **CRASH!**

A bowling ball sized rock rammed into Goddard's side. The force snapped his attachments off of the rocket and sent him spiraling away to their left.

Jimmy's reaction was instant. "Everyone! Hold your breath! I'm coming for you boy!" Jimmy punched the button that opened the cockpit. He then turned in Goddard's direction and spring boarded himself off of the rocketship.

As soon as his feet were clear, Cindy reclosed the cockpit and, as far as she was concerned, just saved her friends from suffocating death in space. Choosing not to dwell on that fact, Cindy turned to Carl, "did Neutron teach you how to fly this thing!?"

"No, Jimmy doesn't let anyone besides him pilot his rocket."

"Tell that to Sheen," Cindy yelled out of frustration, "maybe big brain has something in here that can help, start looking!"

As the three began to look around and under their seats, a tapping outside the glass interrupted them. As if nothing had happened, there was Jimmy holding Goddard while his back pack jet pack kept pace with the rocket.

"Oh thank god," Carl gave as he fell back in his seat.

Cindy re-opended the cockpit, "what were you thinking Neutron!? You could have died out there or killed us all!"

"Aww Vortex, I didn't know you cared," he countered with a snarky grin, "I was thinking that Goddard is the only way we can return home with the rocket thrusters broken…is that okay with you, Vortex?"

"What's ok with me is if we get home in one piece! You-"

"Cool it kiddies," Libby said as she stood in between them, "we just had a near life death experience because of you two arguing, so shut up!"

An uncomfortable silence passed as both Jimmy and Cindy gazed down at their shoes. "She started it," Jimmy huffed under his breath.

"Can we go home now," Carl asked. Seeing Jimmy jump into the vacuum of space was more than enough excitement for him. Jimmy gave a solemn nod to his dog, Goddard re-attached himself to the rocket and steered the crew home.

"Are we coming back to look for Sheen," Libby asked Jimmy.

"I'll have to repair the rocket and refuel before trying again," unknowingly answering Libby's question as Jimmy thought out loud as he sat in the driver's seat, "but where to get rocket fuel on such short notice?"

Another asteroid slammed into the port side of the rocket as they approached earth. Not only did it hit with enough force to knock everyone out of their seats again, the rocket was thrown into a tailspin as it fell towards earth.

"The rockets' out of control," Jimmy screamed as he struggled with the controls, "Goddard! Are you ok boy!?"

"He's ok," Carl answered for the dog, "he's hanging on!"

"Good boy Goddard! You three! Prepare to eject!"

Libby eyes were wide with protest as Jimmy spoke. "Did he say eject!? Eject as in fly out of the seat!?"

"Neutron! Wai-" before Cindy could finish her sentence, the group was forcefully shot out of the rocket, seats and all.  
~~~

This had not been Carl's first rodeo, he had ridden in Jimmy's rocket when it was in working order or not. But what just happened was a first, even for him. As he was ejected from the rocket, he shut his eyes. When he opened them and looked up, he found himself falling up towards the ground. The trio had been ejected upside down. He looked down at his feet and saw the parachute from his seat was closed and flapping in the wind, it had failed to open!

Before he had a chance for any further panic, Goddard appeared in between the trio in an upside-down freefall of his own.

"Unbuckle the seatbelt," Carl screamed at the girls but couldn't be heard over the wind. Carl unbuckled his belt and, for lack of a better idea, swam his way towards Goddard. When he got a secure grip on one of the mechanical paws, he saw that his two friends had taken the hint and undid their own buckles. With the three hanging on to Goddard for dear life, the dog flew and landed them safely on the ground in front of the Candy Bar.

"Oh my god," Carl said as the trio collapsed in front of the store, "I'll never leave the ground again!" To prove his point, he rolled over on his stomach and kissed the pavement.

"That was CRAZY," Libby said in between breaths, "and you boys do this kind of stuff every day!?"

"Its Neutron's own fault," Cindy countered, "there's always some crazy fix for a crazy situation, when I see him next time, I'll hit him so hard he won't need a rocket to fly across town!"

As if that was some sort of cue, the trio saw the red rocket spiral out of control overhead. The three watched in horror as it sailed by, leaving a black trail of smoke in its wake, and crashed on the other side of town.

"That looked really bad," Libby said with a worried look on her face.

"Jimmy," Carl screamed and took off in a run. Before he could get too far, Goddard flew in from behind, scooped Carl off of the ground by his shirt collar and rushed towards the accident with Cindy and Libby settled on his back.  
~~~

A/N: And that's the first chapter. Questions, comments, or concerns? Feel free to let me know. Until next time!


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